VIDEO: ‘Yellow Vest’ protest returns to Langley

One man drew the drawstrings on his parka hood together to hide his face when he saw a Black Press reporter taking pictures of the latest ‘Yellow Vest’ protest at the 232 Street overpass over Highway 1 in Langley.

“I don’t trust the government, I don’t trust the media and I don’t want my picture taken,” he explained.

Most of the two dozen who took part in the late-morning demonstration, waving flags and placards at the freeway traffic below, were willing to have their pictures taken and their comments recorded.

“I think someone should block off the street outside Trudeau’s home to see if he gets the message,” said one protester, who declined to be named.

The message was one of general frustration, chiefly with the recent United Nations compact on migration that aims to set international standards for handing refugees, an agreement most members of the UN including Canada have signed.

Critics, like the people on the overpass, say the compact will reduce Canada’s control over immigration selection.

They cited other issues, including complaints about the carbon tax and delays on building a new pipeline from Alberta.

“The level of frustration has just bubbled over,” said Angelina Ireland from Delta, who was holding a placard that said “Trudeau: Elect a clown, expect a circus.”

Like other participants Black Press spoke to, Ireland said there was no single group leading the ‘Yellow Vest” protests in Canada, describing it as a decentralized movement with many different groups working together.

She said supporters get tipped about protests through social media and email.

It takes its name from the sometimes-violent yellow vest movement that launched in France on November 17, fuelled by anger over taxes demonstrators said are hurting ordinary workers and retired people and featuring protesters wearing yellow reflective safety vests.

There have been several “yellow vest” protests in B.C. and the rest of Canada, generally smaller and non-violent.

Tanya Gaw of the Canadian Coalition for Responsible Government (CC4RG) said the protests will continue “until Justin Trudeau listens to Canadians.”

Gaw said the movement is made up of a “rising number of people who felt like they were on their own and are now connected because they have the same concerns.”

Gaw attended an earlier overpass protest against the UN compact in December organized with with Kari Simpson, head of the controversial Langley-based Culture Guard group that has campaigned against SOGI, [Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity] lesson plans in schools, saying they “incorporate well-known brainwashing techniques, designed to create confusion in children [about their sexuality].”

Angelina Ireland from Delta said the ‘Yellow Vest’ protests are being organized by a variety of groups. Black Press photo

About two dozen people took part in the latest ‘Yellow Vest’ protest on the 232 Street overpass in Langley. Black Press photo